Last night, Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed the company’s latest tablet. It’s the new iPad, folks. And this year it’s just called "the new iPad", not iPad 3 or iPad HD. To some, it means that 2011’s model, the iPad 2, sounds newer than the latest, 2012 one. But more important than the name, should you buy one?
Apple iPad 3 aka new …

The New iPad in Just 1 paragraph.

Like an “ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity 700″, but heavier, thicker, lower resolution cameras, half the CPU cores, less ports and storage, no netbook capability, smaller screen, less battery life, tied to iTunes and everything else Apple and likely to be more expensive.

http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/07/new-ipad-competition-specs/

So, no you shouldn't buy one, unless you are already locked into Apple and have no choice.

Re: The New iPad in Just 1 paragraph.

"Less battery life" is completely wrong, the iPad has almost double the battery of the Infinity (which btw is only vapourware at this stage)

If you mean battery after attaching the optional Transformer expansion, but then you can also attach external batteries to the iPad.

Pricing on the Infinity is also unknown, but given the Transformer Prime went on sale for £500 only two months ago, will the Ininity now show up at the same price but with much better specs? Don't think so.

Re: The New iPad in Just 1 paragraph.

The Infinity screen is a 10.1" 16:9 ratio screen that works out smaller than the 9.7" 4:3 screen of the iPad. You're looking at a diagonal measurement, less square = less area.

The Tegra 3 that also powers the Transformer Prime is only slightly faster at tasks like web browsing than the current iPad 2, and is slower at graphics intensive tasks like OpenGL. Chances are that Apple have at least reved the clock speed of the CPU cores in the A5X so expect the wins that it does have to be reversed.

The Infinity only gets more battery life than the iPad when the keyboard is attached, at which point it becomes thicker and heavier than the iPad.

iTunes hasn't been required since the release of iOS 5. You can work completely without it.

There's no pricing or precise availability for the infinity, so any guesses on your part as to it's price are just that. The iPad has both.

Re: The New iPad in Just 1 paragraph.

Let me start by saying I have no dog in this fight and am rather thinking of getting a transformer prime myself, but really??

Firstly, you're comparing an existing product with an announced-but-still-not-finalised product. Comparing iPad3 to a real product, the Transformer Prime, the iPad is indeed thicker and heavier, and has less ports and storage. Screen size is almost the same, but iPad resolution is twice as good. The cameras are comparable (5MP with full HD video capability). The number of cores is a non-issue compared to how capable they are. In theory according to what I've seen on a couple other review sites, the apple 2-core CPU + quad-core GPU is twice as capable as the Tegra 3 chipset in the Prime. Seeing that it has to drive twice the resolution in 2 directions, it's probable that real-world performance is similair. Since both can play full HD movies at full frame rate, there is no practical difference. The Prime does have the keyboard dock which gives additional functionality, ports and battery life, BUT the version with the dock is MORE expensive than the iPad with comparable storage. The Prime does not have 4G or even 3G capability at all. Lock-in could be a concern, but really I can transfer songs etc from my existing collection or that I get from somewhere else, and copy to iPad, I don't have to be locked in to anything I don't want to. Apple store also has significantly more apps available, although again, real-world, the chances are that the vast majority of apps I will ever want to run will be available on both.

The Infinity will have an improved screen over the Prime (still won't be as good as the iPad's although probably near enough as to hardly make any real-world difference), and improved chipset that will enable it to drive the higher res screen (again I doubt real-world difference will exist, both will be super-fast). It will also feature 4G and a couple more upgrades from the Prime, however since the Prime is a fairly recent model, there's no way in hell that Asus will sell the Infinity at the same price as the Prime.

Bottom line, Prime vs iPad 2, I'd take the Prime. Prime vs iPad 3 depends on balance of tastes / use requirements. Infinity vs iPad will be a lot closer to Infinity win, but will also depend on pricing of the Infinity.

Re: The New iPad in Just 1 paragraph.

Seems like you have lapped up the Apple marketing, just as much as the idiots that believe the iPad3 is 4x quicker than a Tegra3 (in Apple's own tests, sequence shortended, we reserve the right to choose which tests etc etc).

"iTunes hasn't been required since the release of iOS 5. You can work completely without it."

@AC 22:33

I've lapped up some independent reviews of the Transformer Prime. They put browser performance as slightly faster than the iPad 2 (for example sunspider results of 1685ms vs 1808ms, or about 7% faster) while being slower when running OpenGL (GLBenchmark 2.1 Egypt scores of 6897 vs 9827, or 40% slower for the Prime). The PowerVR SGX543MP2 in the old A5 chip still seriously out horsepowers the Tergra 3 GPU.

iTunes not required? You can buy an iPad, set it up, upgrade the OS, read/send emails, browse the web, buy apps (many of which are free), watch video and listen to music without ever connecting or synching it to a PC. I've no idea why you posted that link, its about people complaining about a third party PC music management app not synching properly with iOS. It doesn't change any of the above.

Performance

Presumably existing games will run at old resolutions and upscale, meaning that the performace test in the review probably didn't test whether there's a problem with doubling the GPU speed and quadrupling the pixel count.

Re: Seriously?

Re: Seriously?

Then your looking in the wrong direction.

The comment by the reviewer was clearly aimed at stating "this is the best, nothing else compares" when in fact as usual, its not. It has elements (screen) that could be judged to be the best but overall, its not the best for everyone (and that includes people who haven't owned one before).

Its FAR from being "head and shoulders above" all the others - and thats regardless of owning any form of tablet before. "head and sholders above" would be superiour in most if not all, and its clearly not.

Re: Seriously?

Re: Seriously?

See there ya go, fanboi attack ... unable to see past his nose.

No, my choice is perfect for ME, i use it at work as a laptop (well, it is!), its not perfect for everyone and nor do I claim it stands "head and shoulders" above everything else in a tablet format.... But this journalist claims the next iPad does when it clearly doesn't. It would be crap for me in the office for example as a MAIN pc.

I doubt you'll be able to read this though, the blinkers won't let you, so i'm probably talking to myself.

Retina display??

Re: Retina display??

They did explicitly point out that the 'retina' aspect is a subjective one and dependent on your eye's distance from the screen. From 12" away it's still 'retina'.

TBH, the whole 'retina' naming is slightly childish I think. I know what resolution means and I know what pixels are. 2048x1536 is a lot and plenty whatever way you look at it :) I don't care what it's branded as.

Re: Retina display??

At what point does it not become "retina"? When its held 12", 13", 20", 500 miles?

You can't have it both ways. "Retina" is being used as a standard one way or the other.

My 120" 1080p projector can now be classed as "Retina" when its viewed from 100 feet away. Mind you, this is only a name, so I'm going to tell everyone my PJ puts out an image so clear, I'm going to call it "Hubble Vision".

Re: Retina display??

im sorry but its not "a standard" as in "industry standard" its a description of a device that is in prototype in some medical devices today....the most exact description to date is this

"A virtual retinal display (VRD), also known as a retinal scan display (RSD) or retinal projector (RP), is a display technology that draws a raster display (like a television) directly onto the retina of the eye. The user sees what appears to be a conventional display floating in space in front of them. "

the key being draws a raster display <b>directly</b> onto the retina of the eye. as opposed to reflecting light off an object or screen, apples false "retinal display" description PR does NOT make their display device a REAL retinal display.

Re: Ports?

The back of the new iPad is encased in aluminium, sculpted into two cheeks for a comfortable and slightly arousing grip, unbroken by ports it sports a recessed apple logo where the goatse would lie.

There are no USB sockets on the new iPad, it is therefore unpossible to connect any sort of peripheral, charging is accomplished by shaking the device in a rhythmic fashion to activate the self winding mechanisms within.

Headphones may be attached to the new iPad via the industry standard quarter inch socket.

Finally, please be assured that in these enlightened times using an iPad is no more an indicator of your sexuality than sporting a moustache or joining the priesthood.

Re: Ports?

Re: @ Andrew James

Why bother rewviewing it? The party faithfull will still camp out for week at the store doors even if it were a complete turkey. Anyone with an eye on a new tablet and very little technical inclination or time will simply think TABLET=IPAD.

Apple have it sown up, which is all rather sad. However as they say, the higher they are the harder they fall.

Love the comment-bombing

Love Apple fan comment -bombing / down vote bombing going on for any comment slightly negative to this new device.

The new IPad is a worthy upgrade with the HD screen, if you are already part of the Apple ecosystem or just want an Apple device. If not there are Android alternatives with HD screens waiting in the wings. As simple as that.

One thing I have to give Apple kudos for is getting to market with a high res screen first. When you consider that they don't make the screen, but buy them from competitors that have their own android tablets. It is impressive that they can buy them from competitors before those competitors can put them in their own tablets.....

Re: Love the comment-bombing

You'll probably find the competition can't *afford* it. These screens must be hugely expensive - unless you're ordering 50 million or so. Only amazon is seriously past the million mark out of the competition, and they're doing budget rather than high-end.

If the competitors are ordering 1m or less, they'll be paying a lot more than apple. That gives them a choice of selling a very expensive device that makes the iPad look cheap, or selling an unprofitable device. There's not a good business choice in that selection.

Re: @Monty : Love the comment-bombing

new, newer, even newer, newer newer?

Coming later in the year will be the newER ipad, and next year the EVEN newer ipad, and followig that is the NEWER newer ipad? Almost as bad as high speed USB, super speed USB and whatever they've callued USB3 !!